THE POWER OF GOOD WRITING
Hi There, Happy New Year. I had meant for this 1st newsletter of 2024 to be all your excellent and fascinating responses to my ‘Best of 2023’ lists – but I will hold that back for a fortnight because I feel like in this first 10 days of 2024 I have enjoyed so much brilliant […]
WRITING OPPORTUNITIES & BEST TV, FILMS & BOOKS 2023
Hi There, Four writing opportunities – A reminder about the GRASS ROUTES PRIZE, mentioned in my last newsletter, closing date for applications – Jan 8th 2024. ‘A new competition for new, unrepresented working class writers.’ https://www.matriarch-productions.co.uk/grass-routes-prize THOUSAND FILMS COMPETITION. This very well-regarded initiative also closes for entries on January 8th 2024. https://thousandfilms.co.uk/ OXBELLY WRITERS PROGRAMME. […]
Courses, feedback & recommendations
Hi There, CHANNEL 4 SCREENWRITING COURSE 2024 We have now confirmed the interviews and I have emailed everyone who wasn’t successful. Apologies if you haven’t heard back from me. Inevitably there are always a few who for various reasons slip through the net. I would like to reiterate what I said in that email – […]
THANK YOU!
Hi There, I’d like to thank all of you who got in touch to respond to my last newsletter. I was really gratified by all your responses and your generosity has left me feeling like an emotionally needy egotist! (but massive thank you nonetheless). Anyway, there were so many fascinating responses, in particular to my […]
HIGHLIGHTS& LOWLIGHTS OCTOBER 2023
Hi There, TV FACTUAL DRAMA Here’s a section of a review from The Guardian of The Reckoning, the new factual drama mini-series about Jimmy Saville ‘Stripped of context, The Reckoning is a rigorously well-made thing. Steve Coogan is brilliant in the lead. He is a fine actor, as well as a fine impressionist, and the […]
LONDON FILM FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS 2023
Hi There, LONDON FILM FESTIVAL 2023 In early October, I made my usual pilgrimage to the London Film Festival. The LFF is brilliantly curated – the quality of the films they select is so impressive. And in some instances, it’s the only chance for us in the UK to see certain films. For two Fridays […]
TV DRAMA SERIES – BOILING POINT
Hi There, TV drama series are such a great art form in the way they can enable you to get so enjoyably involved with a story world, a set of characters and their inner lives. This was brought home to me by episode one of the new BBC series BOILING POINT, ensemble TV drama at […]
SUCCESSION – AN EVENING WITH THE WRITERS
Hi There, SUCCESSION: AN EVENING WITH THE WRITERS. SOUTHBANK CENTRE I went to this event last Wednesday and here are a few reflections – First, how unique to go to a packed-out, sold out event in a 2500-seat venue that was a celebration of screenwriters and screenwriting. The writers in question were creator and showrunner […]
CHANNEL 4 SCREENWRITING COURSE 2024
Hi There, This week a look ahead to the – CHANNEL 4 SCREENWRITING COURSE 2024 We will be accepting entries for 2 weeks from Monday Sept 18th to Monday Oct 2nd. The entry criteria are the same as last year. We will not accept scripts that you have previously submitted ie you have to submit […]
CHANNEL 4 SCREENWRITING COURSE – SUCCESS STORIES
Hi There, This will be my last newsletter until Friday September 8th as I take a break from it over August. A few weeks ago, on July 4th, we held the industry drinks evening for this year’s Channel 4 screenwriting course, to introduce this year’s 12 writers to potential employers (producers, development executives, script editors) […]
